- The goalkeeper played more than 1,000 matches during a stellar 28-year career
- He has shed light on his best opponent, a failed move to Barca, and depression
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Iconic Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has revealed which former teammate ‘should have won five Ballon d’Ors’ but was snubbed every single time.
The footballing legend played more than 1,000 matches in a career spanning four decades, making his debut for Parma in the 1995-96 season.
He earned his big move to Juventus in 2001 and remained at the Italian giants for 17 years, winning 10 Serie A titles and five Italian Cups, while also featuring a record 176 times for his country, lifting the World Cup in 2006.
Buffon bade an emotional farewell to the Turin side in 2018 but spent just one season at Paris Saint-Germain before returning. He then ended his career where it all began at Parma, retiring after failing to gain promotion to Serie A in 2023.
The goalkeeper, 46, has faced up against the best players from several generations but singled out one ex-colleague for praise in an interview with Corriere della Sera.
Asked who was the finest man he played against or with in his mammoth career, Buffon said: ‘It’s hard to pick. I played against three generations: Zidane, Ronaldo, Messi, Cristiano, Iniesta…
‘Choose one? Neymar. For the player he is and the person he is, he should’ve won five Ballons d’Or.’
Buffon lined up alongside the mercurial Brazilian forward during the 2018-19 campaign in a season which saw the keeper secure nine clean sheets in 25 appearances as the side claimed their sixth title in seven years as well as a French Super Cup.
Neymar added three more Ligue 1 trophies and a French Cup to his tally before making a lucrative move to Saudi outfit Al-Hilal in August 2023 for £75million.
Promoting the launch of his new autobiography, Buffon also lifted the lid on the pain goalkeepers must go through to succeed in the sport.
‘There’s something masochistic about goalkeepers,’ he said. ‘The fields of my youth were the same as in the 1970s: the penalty area was as hard as concrete. You can recognize old goalkeepers by their scarred hands, aching sides, and the countless times they’ve fallen to the ground, bleeding.
‘There’s something a little crazy about me. Goalkeepers talk to themselves, to their gloves. And above all, I’ve got a good dose of insolence. Without it, I wouldn’t have survived. Try making your Serie A debut at 17, with Parma leading the table, tied on points with AC Milan.’
The legend also revealed that he suffered from depression just as he was hitting the apex of his career at Juventus.
‘At the end of 2003, after two straight Scudetti, I hit a low point,’ he said. ‘I felt an emptiness inside me, started sleeping badly, and had panic attacks. During a Juve-Reggina match, I had an anxiety attack on the field. I couldn’t breathe and thought I couldn’t play.
‘Ivano Bordon, our goalkeeping coach, told me I didn’t have to play. I looked at our backup, Chimenti – a great friend – and thought this was a pivotal moment. If I didn’t go back out, I might never play again. I returned, made a decisive save, and we won 1-0. But the problem didn’t go away. Dr. Agricola confirmed it: depression.’
Buffon recalled that he came very close to joining Barcelona and playing with Lionel Messi, having previously boasted Cristiano Ronaldo as a teammate at Juventus, but that passing a Parma toll booth playing the club’s signature tune – Jovanotti’s Bella – changed his mind.
He also shed light on his gambling problems but insisted that he had stayed out of trouble by betting on tennis and basketball and never football.
Buffon experienced a wide variety of managerial styles during his 28-year career and made a clear distinction between authoritarian coaches like Nevio Scala, Fabio Capello and Antonio Conte, and more mellow characters like Massimiliano Allegri and Carlo Ancelotti.
